Turns out winning a conference championship isn’t that big a deal for the football playoff selection committee as the committee left ACC champions Duke out of the playoffs.
On the one hand it’s understandable.
Duke finished the regular season at 8-5 and no one who got in had close to five losses. Duke’s were to Illinois, Tulane, Georgia Tech, UConn and Virginia.
Of those five, only Tulane is in the playoffs.
It’s tempting to say well, at least Duke can point to the ACC Championship and another bowl game as signs of a good season and that’s true. But we get the feeling that Manny Diaz is thinking in bigger terms.
If things had been a little different, Tulane, Georgia Tech and UConn were winnable games and then it would have been a much more difficult conversation for the committee.
Still, it was a great season and Duke is in fact ACC champions, but that’s not the only thing to hold on to. Here’s what Duke fans should hold on to.
For the first time since the 1960’s, Duke has had sustained success in football, a sport some in the athletic department wanted to drop.
We wanted more, but Duke football has an identity now and the future looks bright.
